Sharp's Aquos S2 has a small price tag and an even smaller bezel
The phone also packs a dual camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor.
Announced on Tuesday in Beijing, China, Sharp's Aquos S2 is almost all screen.
Before Samsung and Xiaomi dropped phones with tiny bezels, Sharp introduced the world to edge-to-edge phone displays in 2014 with the Aquos Crystal. The Aquos S2, which is the latest device in the line, pushes the concept further, packing a 5.5-inch display into a tiny frame.
Announced in Beijing on Tuesday, the phone has a small chunk of bezel on the bottom, where its fingerprint scanner lives. It's all screen above that, except for a small circular space for the 8MP front camera. The design is similar to the fabled Essential phone.
The Aquos S2 will retail online from 2,499 yuan, which converts to roughly $370, AU$470 and £185. That's much cheaper than the $750, £689 or AU$1,199 Samsung Galaxy S8, which is the easiest way for you to get your hands on a futuristic, all-screen (almost) no-bezel design.
Of course, it's not a completely fair comparison, with the Aquos S2 not packing the same premium specs as Samsung's flagship. But for the midrange price, you'll get a strong processor, plenty of RAM and a dual camera. If you're willing to fork out an extra $150, AU$190 or £110 for the premium edition, you'll get a better CPU and 2GB more RAM. (The cameras and battery are identical, though.)
Key specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 630/660 processor
- 5.5 inch, 2,040x1,080-pixel display
- 4 or 6GB of RAM
- 64 or 128GB on-board storage
- 12 or 8MP rear cameras
- 8MP front camera
- 140g, 141.8x72.04x7.9mm (5.5x2.8x0.31 inches)
- 3,020 mAh battery
The phone will be competing with other midrange beasts from China, including the OnePlus 5 and the Oppo R11. It'll be available for import through Chinese retailer JD, among others, later this month.